Justus Brinkmann 1910

This photograph of Justus Brinkmann was made by Aura Hertwig in 1905, though it's hard to tell exactly what process she used. What strikes me about it is the tonal range. It's almost like a drawing, but with the softness that only light can bring. Look at his hand holding what looks like a cigarette or some kind of rolled paper. It’s slightly out of focus and the whiteness of the cuffs and ring contrasts with the darkness of his suit. The darkness is dense and obscures details, yet the texture of his beard feels palpable, almost touchable. The sepia tones lend it a melancholic air, don’t they? It makes me think of other artists who were experimenting with photography around the same time, like Julia Margaret Cameron, who used soft focus to create these dreamlike portraits. This feels like a quieter, more intimate portrait, though. It's like a whisper from the past, full of subtle emotion.